Original Rainbow Cone (Beverly)

A Chicago institution since 1926 — five flavors sliced and stacked, the rainbow is the whole delight.

Why you'll go

Five flavors sliced (not scooped) and stacked on one cone — instantly photogenic and a reason to anchor a South Side day.

What they'll love

The whole point is the tower of color: one cone stacks five flavors — chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House (vanilla flecked with cherries and walnuts), pistachio almond, and orange sherbet — sliced and layered into one striped cone, so a little one gets a literal rainbow they can point at and lick layer by layer. For toddlers who can't tackle the full stack, the counter will do a single "baby scoop" of one flavor in a cup or cone. There's no indoor seating — it's a walk-up window with a small backyard of awning-covered picnic tables — which gives a small kid room to wiggle while the ice cream does its melting thing.

Real talk

No indoor seating and no on-site restroom — it's a walk-up window with a few awning-covered picnic tables out back that fill up fast when it's busy, so come ready to eat standing or walking. The full Rainbow Cone is about two scoops' worth, which overwhelms most toddlers; ask for a single baby scoop in a cup.

Don't miss

• Order a single "baby scoop" for the little one The signature Rainbow Cone is large — five flavors sliced and stacked into one tower, a lot for a 1- to 4-year-old. The counter will do a small single-flavor baby scoop (strawberry is the easy crowd-pleaser) alongside one full Rainbow Cone for the grown-ups to share. Get it in a cup, not a cone — a toddler hand plus a melting stack on a hot day is a guaranteed drip disaster.
• Grab a table in the back patio early There's no indoor seating; it's a walk-up window with a small backyard of awning-covered picnic tables, available weather permitting. The handful of tables fill up fast when it's busy. Go on a weekday or right at the 11 a.m. open to actually land a seat in the shade. If it's mobbed, plan to walk and eat.
• Catch the 100-year milestone This 9233 S. Western Ave shop is the original, opened in 1926 by the Sapp family, and 2026 is its centennial year. It's a genuine Chicago institution, not a novelty stop. Through the countdown to the centennial there's been a $4.99 Rainbow Cone special on Tuesdays (regular cone runs about $6.29-$6.99) — confirm at the window before you count on it, since promos change.